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A Regional Overview of the Nation's Energy Resources

The United States covers 3.79 million square miles and contains 316 million people, making it one of the largest, most populated countries in the world. Our expanding energy needs are well known to policymakers and business leaders alike. This map provides a broad overview of our country's energy potential by charting current sources of energy production and identifying future resources and known deposits.

Methodology

Data shown on the map come from a range of government sources. For solar energy, the map shows areas in the top 20% of potential photovoltaic energy output per square meter per day. Biomass on the map shows counties in the continental U.S. that were in the top 20% of potential tons of biomass output per square kilometer per year. For the continental U.S., the geothermal category shows areas judged as most favorable for Deep Enhanced Geothermal Systems by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; in Alaska, the distribution of geothermal energy comes from a report by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Wind resources on the map show areas that the NREL judged most favorable for energy production as measured by mean annual wind speeds. Coal distributions reflect areas of known mineable coal deposits recorded by the USGS, while oil and gas distributions show areas known to contain productive wells. Nuclear data reflects the locations of U.S. nuclear power plants as tracked by the Nuclear Research Council. Hydroelectric resources on the map show the locations of major existing hydroelectric dams as defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

46% of all us energy

America's Energy Hotspot

The population center of the United States is slowly edging westward away from the Midwest and toward the nexus of the Great Plains, Southwest and Mountain West. This region is extremely energy rich, producing 46% of all U.S. energy, including two-thirds of our total natural gas and nearly one-third of our renewable energy. This energy boom is transforming the region's economy, increasing the existing migration trend and driving our national energy policy.